Finally, a publisher has met the need of children and parents reading together with these great books.

A couple years ago I received a flyer from Treasure Bay Publishers. They advertised a series of new books called "We Both Read." The books are designed for young readers to read with their parents or another strong reader.

The "We Both Can Read" books feature a left page written for parents to read. It contains longer sentences and more complex vocabulary. Vocabulary builders are intregal to each book. Words introduced via the adult page are in bold print. On the child's page these words are again in bold print. This allows the young reader to see the word in, hear the word, and then read the word in context.

Treasure Bay has deveolped books for kindergarten through second grade reading levels (on the child page). The books cover both fiction and nonfiction subjects. There is the fun story of Baseball Fever, in which an African-American boy is worried about missing a big game due to illness. There are mysteries, books about personal safety, bullying, and folklore. The stories flow smoothly from adult page to child page. The nonfiction titles cover popular topics such as space, dinosaurs, insects, the rain forest, etc. The illustrations and photographs are attractive and appropriate to each book.

Last year during a bookfair, two parents were discussing their frustration with shared reading with their children. It took too long to get through the child's page. Both parent and child would get frustrated. I walked to the shelf and came back with a selection of "We Both Read" books. The word spread like fire, parents and students began asking for these great books. They make an excellent addition to children's literature. Your parents and young patrons will thank you.

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